REFERENCE TO RELATED PUBLICATIONS
This invention was registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office under the Document Disclosure Program. The date received was May 10, 1993 and the registration number is 330,143.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a segregation and storage apparatus for recyclable materials. More specifically, it relates to an apparatus that consists of a wall unit mounted between the studs of an existing wall. The side of the wall unit that faces the inner portion of the home has a vertically swinging, hinged cover that fits snugly thereover and is insulated to prevent any heat transfer between the home and the outer air. Extending from the other side of the wall unit are a plurality of pipes or chutes that extend outwardly and downwardly to corresponding separate storage containers.
The unique drain plug of the instant invention could be applied in many other fields where it is desired to provide remote separate storage of individual articles. The artisan could see many other applications as, for example, a production facility where different parts are chuted to different storage locations. Thus it can be seen that the potential fields of use for this invention are myriad and the particular preferred embodiment described herein is in no way meant to limit the use of the invention to the particular field chosen for exposition of the details of the invention.
A comprehensive listing of all the possible fields to which this invention may be applied is limited only by the imagination and is therefore not provided herein. Some of the more obvious applications are mentioned herein in the interest of providing a full and complete disclosure of the unique properties of this previously unknown general purpose article of manufacture. It is to be understood from the outset that the scope of this invention is not limited to these fields or to the specific examples of potential uses presented hereinafter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the problem of shrinking areas available for the placement of landfills is faced by municipality after municipality across the country, these communities are forced to implement recycling programs to relieve the strain on the available fill area. Materials that have exceptionally long biodegradation times, or materials that do not biodegrade at all, are singled out for these efforts. Aluminum, glass, and certain polymers are in this class of materials. Another advantage of this recycling effort is that these materials can be reprocessed to manufacture more of the same, with a concurrent saving in energy, money, and resources. Most of the municipalities implementing these programs require the householder to separate the various materials into segregated containers. A problem encountered by many people is the storage of the bins or containers during the time between use and pickup, which in many cases is on a weekly basis. The bins take up space, usually in the kitchen or storage room, which discourages conscientious collection when space is at a premium. In homes with a large number of occupants, this drawback is exacerbated. The present invention seeks to ameliorate this problem by providing an apparatus that extends from the indoors to the outdoors, with a wall unit placed between the existing wall studs, having an insulated hinged cover on the inner wall and a plurality of separate pipes or chutes extending outwardly and downwardly from the outer wall. A number of U.S. Patents were uncovered during a search that relate to recycling, and they are hereinafter discussed:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,435, issued to John J. Grevich on Feb. 15, 1983, discloses a crusher and separator for cans and bottles wherein the objects are crushed and then, through gravity and a magnetic belt, are separated into the appropriate containers. Unlike the present invention, this separator is clearly designed to be used at the recycling center or site, and makes no use of an existing wall to transport and then store the recyclable material outdoors.
The next patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,758, issued on Apr. 28, 1987, to Goldie K. Tavel et al. In this there is disclosed a waste separator-receptacle wherein a plurality of pivoting doors are adapted to receive various recyclable materials. Disposed within the enclosure is included a means to dispense a fluid, preferably a germicide, deodorizer, or the like. Unlike the present invention, there is no teaching of segregating the recyclable materials outdoors, nor is any communication means between an inner and outer wall of a domicile disclosed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,858 issued on May 14, 1991, to Ernest T. Armstrong there is disclosed a refuse separator. This is a lid, having a chute therein, for a trash receptacle that is designed such that cans or bottles, attaining a higher velocity when traversing the chute, are deposited in one portion of the receptacle, while other refuse having a higher friction coefficient or less weight will be deposited in another. This, as in the other patents discussed above, has no teaching directed to a wall unit mounted to allow recyclables to be segregated outside of the domicile.
Lastly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,010 issued on Jun. 22, 1993, to James S. Bianco, there is disclosed an apparatus for segregating bottles, cans, and the like. This device has a plurality of conduits extending from an upper, kitchen area to a lower, storage area having the bins contained therein. There is no teaching of the mounted wall unit envisioned by the present invention for communicating with the outside of the domicile, thus allowing the segregation of the recyclable materials outdoors.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.